FPS news, framed by what matters
Daily coverage of game patches, driver releases, GPU launches, and esports rule changes — every story framed through one consistent lens: how it affects your framerate.
16GB VRAM GPUs now outnumber 8GB cards on Steam for the first time
The midrange GPU install base just crossed a VRAM threshold that changes buying advice
Steam's July 2026 survey shows 16GB VRAM cards have overtaken 8GB models in the install base — a shift driven by midrange RTX 50-series and RX 9000 adoption.
GPU prices keep climbing through 2026 as VRAM costs and weak competition bite
VRAM fab costs and weak competition keep current-gen cards expensive through 2026
Current-gen GPU prices stay high with minimal discounts. Rising VRAM costs and lack of competition keep both NVIDIA and AMD cards expensive.
16GB GPUs and 8-core CPUs now most common on Steam
The Steam majority has moved to 16GB VRAM and 8-core CPUs — budget builds need to catch up
Steam's latest hardware survey shows 16GB VRAM and 8-core CPUs have overtaken older configs as the most popular among PC gamers.
AMD Zen 6 CPUs targeting 1% lows and stutter reduction
AMD's next architecture targets the frame drops that aggregate CPU usage percentages miss
AMD's next-gen Zen 6 architecture will focus on software-level improvements to minimize frame drops and stuttering in games, according to HYDRA OC creator 1usmus.
RTX 5080 prices blow past 5090 MSRP at major retailers
Partner 5080 models now cost more than the 5090's original MSRP
Best Buy and Amazon have hiked RTX 5080 and 5090 prices well above launch MSRP, with some 5080 models now costing more than the 5090's original $1,999 sticker.
AMD reportedly pushing 10% GPU price hike to August
GDDR6 shortages push AMD's price floor up in August — bad news for budget 1440p builds
AMD's planned price increase on graphics cards is now set for August instead of July, according to Board Channels sources. The hike stems from ongoing GDDR6 memory shortages.
Linux kernel patches claim 31% boost to 1% lows on AMD CPUs
AMD P-State driver tweaks could smooth out frame times on Linux handhelds
New AMD P-State driver patches targeting the Linux kernel could cut stuttering on Steam Deck and other AMD handhelds by up to 31%, per developer David Vernet.
Valve funds Windows port of AMD's open-source RADV Vulkan driver
Valve-backed open-source Vulkan driver gives AMD Windows users an alternative to Adrenalin
Collabora is porting Mesa's RADV driver to Windows with Valve backing. The move brings AMD's high-performance open-source Vulkan stack to Windows for the first time.
MSI and Colorful hike RTX 50-series prices up to 59% in China
Distributor price hikes in China suggest RTX 50-series retail increases are coming globally
Two major board partners quietly raised RTX 50-series prices in China by double digits, signaling broader price hikes may be coming to the US and Europe.
Modern Warfare 4 beta gets low-SBMM playlists
Activision tests lower skill-based matchmaking in MW4 beta after years of player complaints
Activision is adding lower skill-based matchmaking playlists to the Modern Warfare 4 beta, continuing its experiments with player-requested changes to CoD's multiplayer.
Black Ops 6 adds classic matchmaking mode in Season 5
Connection-first matchmaking returns, no skill brackets
Activision's new matchmaking mode drops skill-based pairing for connection-first lobbies, bringing back the random stomp-or-be-stomped chaos of older COD titles.
Halo: Campaign Evolved hits 'mixed' on Steam after server login blocks single-player
Always-online authentication blocks a $70 single-player campaign on day one
343's new Halo can't let you play offline despite being primarily single-player. Early access buyers are locked out by authentication failures.